Ribbon reinking device



y 15, 1955 H. w. KELEHER RIBBON REINKING DEVICE Filed Dec. 29, 1952INVENTOR HENRY w. KELEHER 9L WW ATTORNEY United States Patent '0 RIBBONnniNkiNo DEVICE Henry W. Keleher, Binghamton, N. Y., assignor toInternational Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application December 29, 1952, SeriaiNo. 328,484

2 Claims. (Cl. 197-171) This invention relates generally to ribbonreinking devices and more particularly to means for applying ink to aprinting ribbon as it is about to'be rewound.

Because of the advances in speed of printing and paper feeding there isneed for an arrangement to prevent the inking ribbon cooperatingtherewith from becoming devoid of ink too rapidly. At ordinary speeds ofprinting the inking ribbon when rewound had time to get rejuvenated bythe gradual transferral of ink from unused areas to other comparativelydry areas. In attempting to overcome such conditions in the past, inkingdevices had shortcomings due to providing too much ink spasmodicallywith resulting dark and light printing sections often accompanied withsmudging. There was also involved the economical factor of excessivecost in providing elaborate inking devices. In the present instance,excellent results are produced with a minimum of added parts andexpense.

An object of the invention is the provision of an improved form ofribbon inking device involving an indirect even application of ink to aribbon as it is about to be rewound.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device forapplying ink to a unidirectional guide roller which in turn transfersthe ink to a ribbon as it is about to be rewound.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reinking deviceinvolving an intermediate inking roller which is provided with a ratchetformation andv a simple'spring detent to prevent it from turning exceptin the direction to apply the ink when the ribbon is moved away from theprinter.

A further object of the invention is the provision of inking wells orcapsules and wicks extendingtherefrom to carry. ink to ribbon guiderollers before transferral to a cooperating ribbon moved back and forthacross a printer between said rollers. Each inking roller isprevented-from rotating when the ribbon is moved therefrom toward theprinter. This prevents the ink from being deposited therenin a way thatwill cause it to appear freshwhile going through the printer and in sucha condition as wouldcause smudging. Instead, the guide roller to whichthe ink is applied by the wick is allowed to turn only when the ribbonismoving therefrom toward-the spool while rewinding and thus the inkcontinuously deposited. by the rotating guide roller is carried alongwith the ribbon to the end position where it is brought as a spiral filmbetween several layers on the rewound spool and thus caused to be spreadand diffused before the ribbon is again withdrawn for use in passingthrough the printer.

Although the invention is illustrated in connection with an automaticprinting machine such as a tabulator, it is understood that the reinkingprinciple is applicable to all other forms of printers employing inkingribbons.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the followingdescription and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which disclose, by way of examples, the principle of the invention andthe best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. '1' is a plan view showing the complete path of the inking ribbonbetween two spools. The ink holders-or reservoirs are seen. to be in.positions: to supply ink asthe ice ribbon is rewound in either directionafter passing between the platen and the printer.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one portion of a ribbon feeding and reversingmechanism.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one inking guide roller with ratchetingparts to allow it to be rotated by the ribbon only in a rewind directionand thus carry the ink applied on the roller by wick into storagebetween layers of the rewound ribbon on the spool.

In Fig. 1 it is seen that an inking ribbon R is. drawn between a printerPR and record receiving sheet PA on a platen P. Starting at the left,the ribbon R is drawn off a spool 11 mounted on a fixed center 10. Theribbon is then wound through a series of guide rollers 12-47 beforepassing the printer, after which it is again threaded around other guiderollers 19, 2t), and 21 before being wound upon the other spool 22 oncenter 23. Incidentally, the'feed spool 11 at the left as shown in Fig.1, isordinarily termed the righthand feed unit because the machine isusually viewed while looking toward the platen from the printer. This isexplained here because hereinafter when reference is made to the showingof the ribbon feed in Fig. 2, that is called the righthand ribbon feedunit.

Before going into detail regarding the application of ink as shown inFig. 3, is is believed advisable to first consider the mode of feedingand reversing the ribbon in'a customary fashion as shown in Fig. 2.

Only one side of the ribbon feed unit is shown. in Fig. 2' because theother side is substantially a duplicate of it and an understanding ofthe feeding and reversing of the ribbon may be gathered with referenceto just this half.

The ribbon holding spool 11 is keyed to a spacing ratchet wheel 30 to beturned thereby whenever the wheel is driven by a feed pawl 31.

The ribbon feed unit shown is the righthand unit which is illustratedwith the parts ready to be shifted into a position to feed because theribbon on the related spool is just about exhausted. As long as therewas plenty of ribbon on the righthand spool, the left unit did thefeeding and the unit shown was ineffective because the feed pawl 31 wasso situated circumferentially that even though it swung back and forthit was ineffective because the tail 32 thereon was held depressed by afixed stud 33 so that the pointed feed end 34 was held away from theteeth of the'ribbon spacing ratchet wheel 30.

The reversal of the ribbon feed is caused by a change in the positionalrelationship between a notched driving member 35 and a driven feed lever46 connected thereto flexibly through a connector 49 with a roller 39held in one or the other of the notches 36 or 37 in the driving member35.

The notched member 35 is loosely pivoted on the ratchet center It and isdriven positively by link 38 which is articulated thereon at 42 and isreciprocated on every platen space operation of the printer. On everyribbon feed cycle, link 38 is first raised (as seen in Fig. 2)sufficiently to cause reversal when necessary and then it is pulled downto cause feeding, and finally it is raised partway where it is againbrought to the normal position. As the parts are seen in Fig. 2,reversal is taking place from an ineffective to an effective conditionwhich is caused by the lifting of link 38 and a counterclockwiseswinging of member 35 and the jumping of the connector roller 39 fromthe inefiective notch 36 to the effective feed notch 37.

The connector 4%) is pivoted on a stud 41 which is also the fulcrum ofthe feed pawl 31 and both are pivoted on the feed operating lever 46which is in turn loosely pivoted on the main stud 10. Lever 46 isconnected by link 45 to a similar lever for the left unit which is madeautomatically ineffective by any shift which makes the right uniteffective. A large spring 43-tendsf to hold;

7 tends to restore both the pawl and the lever.

the connector 40 with the roller 39 on the free end, in one or the otherof the notches 36 or 37 and held there flexibly as a connection betweenthe driver 35 and the driven lever 46. Another spring 44 on feed pawl 31tends to pull it into action whenever'it passes to the right of thecamming action of stud 33.

When the ribbon R is near exhaustion on the right spool 11, a button 57thereon is drawn between the guide roller 15 and an extending tab 50 ona reverse lever 49 which is loosely pivoted on the roller stud 18. Thebutton 57 then hits the tab 50 on the right and causes the lever 49 torock in a counterclockwise direction and in so doing it lifts anabutment pawl 52 into the path of stud 41. The abutment pawl 52 ispivoted at 54 on the reverse lever 49 and is held against it by a spring51 which Normally the abutment pawl end 53 is lowered so that stud 41can swing over it and thus continue to leave the connector 40 with theroller 39 in the ineffective notch 36, but when a reversal is in orderas shown, then the abutment is raised and prevents the stud 41 and theattached con-' nector and pawl from moving to the left with the notchedmember 35, The result is that the connector 40 is lifted.

and the roll thereon is jumped into the eifective feed notch 37 so thaton the subsequent clockwise swing of the drive member 35, the feed pawl31 is swept away from the depressing action of stud 33 and allowed toengage a tooth of ratchet 39 to drive it in a clockwise direction. inalternation with printing and in concert with paper feeding, the feedpawl continues to operate the ratchet in Winding the inking ribbon onthe righthand spool 11 until the supply of ribbon on the left spool isexhausted to the point where a button at that end is brought into playsimilarly on the reversing mechanism of the lefthand unit as alreadyexplained with reference to the righthand unit.

Referring back to Fig. 1, it is noted that the frame 60 carries pairs ofspring clips 61 and 62 on opposite sides of the ribbon mechanism andinto these clips is adjustably held cylindrical plastic ink holders,capsules or reservoirs 63 and 64. These ink holders are of a disposablenature and provide ink for a substantial period of time after which theyare readily replaced by a unit with a fresh supply of ink. Extendingnear the top of each ink holder 63 or 64 is a projecting cylinder 65containing the upper part of'a wick 66 which extends down into the mainwell of the holder and projects beyond the cylinder 65 and into contactwith the inking guide rollers with which the ribbon R is in drivingcontact. As shown in Fig. 3 it is apparent that the end of the inkingwick 66 is pressed against the free part of the periphery of guideroller 20 so that as the roller is rotated in a clockwise direction theink is spread by the wick on the roller as it rotates under it. The inkis drawn up through the holder and tube by capillary action and as longas the guide roller is rotated the ink is deposited thereon and the wicksets up a demand which is continuously supplied from the reservoir.There is a similar form of cooperation between the inking holder 63 andguide roller 13 as there is between the ink holder 64 and the guide.

roller 2%. It is noted in Fig. 1 that both of these guide rollers 13 and20 are formed with attached ratchet formations 26 and 27 which are madeintegral with the bottom of the guide roller as shown in Fig. 3.Cooperating with each ratchet is a sprin finger or detent 70 which isriveted to the fixed frame member 60 and formed with a flexibleextension which abuts against the ratchet teeth of the formations on thelower parts of the guide rollers 13 and 29. With reference to the inkingarrangement at the left in Fig. 1, it is apparent from the shape of theratchet teeth on formation 27 that as long as the inking ribbon R ismoving in a direction towards "the bon R moves toward the printer, theguide roller 13 is prevented from moving and therefore the wick restingthereon has no demand for replacement of ink and there is no ink supplyat that point at that time. However, while the ribbon is so moving it isbeing rewound at the right side in Fig. 1 and the guide roller 20 isbeing rotated in a clockwise direction by frictional contact with theribbon R and roller 20 is allowed to so move because the ratchet teeth26 thereon are moving away from i the abutting end of the spring finger70. Therefore, at this point Where the ribbon is about to be rewound,the guide roller 20 is permitted to rotate and the inking wickcooperating therewith has a continuous demand for ink caused by therotation thereunder of the guide roller 20 intermittently as it depositsink on the ribbon and returns under the wick with a clean surfacesetting up a capillary demand which is supplied through the wick. Itwill be realized that movement in the opposite direction causes thereversal of the action, with guide roller 20 then being stopped in aneffort to turn in a counterclockwise direction and prevented from doingso by the cooperating spring finger 70, while rotation of guide roller13 in a counterclockwise direction is permitted and ink is supplied fromthe holder 63 at the left and deposited on the ribbon R just before itis rewound on the spool 11. While there have been shown and describedand pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention, asapplied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that variousomissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of thedevice illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled inthe art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is theintention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope ofthe following claims.

What is claimed is: 1. In a ribbon reinking device, a pair of guiderollers, 21 pair of winding spools, a ribbon extended between said guiderollers with its ends wrapped around said spools, said ribbon beingdrawn past said guide rollers and tending to move them in bothdirections, means for feeding and reversing the motion of said ribbon, aframe, a pair of spring clips mounted on said frame, a pair of inkreservoirs adjustably held in said spring clips, each of said reservoirsbeing provided with an extending cylindrical tube through which isprojected a wick for carrying ink upward out of the holder and against arelated guide roller against which it is pressed, a ratchet formation oneach guide roller, and a spring finger detent cooperating with saidratchet formation to prevent movement of the roller when the ribboncontacting therewith is moved away from the adjacent spool, said ratchetformation and detent permitting movement of the roller and transferralof ink to the ribbon when it is moved in the direction towards theadjacent spool for rewinding. V e 2. A ribbon reinking device having, incombination, two spools between which said ribbon is extended, ribbonfeeding and reversing mechanism cooperating with said spools, a pair ofguide rollers, one of which is adjacent each spool and about which saidribbon is guided, a pair of removable ink capsules with inking wicksextending therefrom and into contact with said rollers, a ratchet wheelon each roller, and a flexible flat spring I detent for stopping saidratchet wheel and roller from printer; i. e., tending to turn roller 13in a clockwise di- I being rotated by the ribbon except when it ispassing from the roller towards the adjacent spool to be rewound,whereby reinking is done on a part of the ribbon about to be rewound, toallow time for the ink to spread evenly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,298,045 Huddleston Mar. 25, 1919 1,841,139 Muller Jan. 12, 19322,104,396 Hoppenstand Jan. 4, 1938 2,588,548 Markes Mar. ll, 1952

